


Arachnophobia

by Kazel_Menra



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, action packed fights, creepy spider akuma, protective chat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-08
Updated: 2018-09-24
Packaged: 2019-07-08 13:31:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15931436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kazel_Menra/pseuds/Kazel_Menra
Summary: A man who likes spiders gets akumatized, turning him into Arachnis. Can Ladybug defeat this natural enemy or will Chat’s wild side get the better of him and cause him to do the unthinkable?





	1. Chapter 1

Alic was a scientist first and foremost and he loved his work. He worked with spiders, which in his mind were the coolest animals on the planet. Many people were afraid of spiders, but Alic had never had an issue with them. He liked his spiders more than most of his coworkers and he often ignored everyone around him, including his surroundings when it came time to do his job. He was, however, good at his job, so it came as a major shock when he walked into work one day only to discover that his badge did not work. The security guard was the one to tell him. His building was being shut down and merged with another due to lack of funds. Alic was furious. How could they shut down his work and not even tell him, much less give him warning! Storming outside, Alic clenched his hand so hard his badge crinkled, and he never noticed the strange looking butterfly that landed on it. 

"Hello, Arachnis. You have been wronged, but I can help you get your revenge. All I ask is for you to steal the miraculous from Ladybug and Chat Noir," Hawkmoth hissed. 

Alic grinned. "A bug and a cat? How would you like them wrapped?" 

"Silk will do," Hawkmoth chuckled, and darkness consumed the man.

Marinette swept the hair out of her eyes before she lifted a large box from the depths of a closet. It was getting close to summer and everyone at school had decided to make a haunted house this year for the annual fund raiser their school held. 

"Shouldn’t we have done this for Halloween?" Marinette asked Alya, who also carried a box from the closet. Hers was far smaller and Alya raised an eyebrow at Marinette’s load. 

"Oh, quit whining, after all, they are using your design for the maze! Besides, it's supposed to be unique and a haunted house at Halloween isn't unique. Near the end of the school year though…" Alya answered, as they handed off their boxes to some boys who stood nearby. The poor boy who took Marinette’s box stumbled under its weight and Alya chuckled at his shocked face. 

"Are you trying to outdo the boys in strength or something? I never realized how strong you are," Alya commented, as they walked back to the closet. 

Marinette blushed. "It’s, uh, from lifting bags of flour and stuff," She answered nervously, as they gathered up the next load of decorations and boxes. This time, when they went to hand the items off, they were joined by Nino and Adrien. 

"Hey, ladies. Let us take that stuff," Nino said.

Alya giggled. "Oh, are the big, strong, manly men here to save us from manual labor?" 

Adrien gave an extravagant bow. "Only if it will help lighten your loads," he said, as Nino struck a macho pose.

Alya laughed. "That was lame, dude," she said, as she dropped the boxes she held into Adrien’s arms.

Nino stepped up to take Marinette’s box and she paused before handing it over. "Uh, it’s kinda heavy," She said, and Nino grinned. 

"I think I can handle it," he said, wrapping his hands through the loops. Marinette released the box and it fell several inches as the air in Nino’s lungs whooshed out.   
Before he could drop it fully, Marinette grabbed the other side and helped him lift it back into a neutral position. 

"Kind of heavy?" Nino gasped, and Marinette shrugged. 

"Hey, let me have a try!" Adrien called, putting his box down and reaching for the box the two of them held. 

Marinette nearly swallowed her tongue to prevent a happy squeal from escaping her lips as Adrien reached around her hands, grasping the box firmly. 

"You can let go Nino," He said, and Nino gladly released his side allowing Adrien to take the full weight.

"Huh, it is a little heavy," Adrien said, hoisting the box a little, and Marinette realized she was still holding onto the box, their hands just barely touching. 

"Uh!" Marinette squeaked, and released the box fully into Adrien’s hold. 

"Wow, Marinette, you must be pretty strong to be able to hold this with no problem!" he said, and Marinette felt a blush rise in her cheeks as she was only able to nod mutely.

"Yeah, no kidding! You should see her throw the flour sacks around in her parents’ bakery!" Alya said, throwing her arm around Marinette’s shoulders. 

"That sounds pretty cool. Maybe we should check it out once we get done here!" Nino said, as he picked up Alya’s lighter, discarded boxes.

"Sure!" Marinette squeaked. "I can snack, er supply stuff… uh snacks." 

Adrien flashed her a smile, making her face heat up once more. "Awesome! I haven't been to your parents’ bakery yet, so I'll be excited to try some of the stuff you have made. If your cooking is as great as your strength, I don’t think we will need to worry." 

"Marinette’s parents sell her baked goods all the time, Mr. Smarty pants!" Alya said with mock annoyance and Adrien’s grin stretched even wider.

"So, I guess we meet once we are done or should we come find you guys?" He asked. 

"I guess you will have to come find me," Marinette answered, her voice filled with good humor. Then she flushed. "U-us! I meant us, find us." 

Adrien winked at her, as he and Nino walked back to where the maze was being constructed. 

"Girrrlll!" Alya squealed, shaking Marinette who's heart had melted into a happy puddle. Then, all at once, she froze as realization struck.

"OH! Oh, gosh, what do I do! H-he’s coming to my house!" Marinette squeaked. 

"Uh, don’t freak out?" Alya said and Marinette let out a happy squeal, practically jumping up and down. 

Alya laughed, pressing down on her shoulders so that Marinette stayed in one place, "Come on, girl. Let’s get these last boxes over to the decorators. The sooner we get done here, the sooner we can leave." 

Marinette nodded and ducking out of Alya’s arms, flew into the closet grabbing two boxes, leaving the last for Alya. "Come on!" she cried and was off, hurrying towards the maze.

About an hour later the teachers called a break and Marinette was practically vibrating with excitement, as they waited outside the school gym for the boys to show themselves. Just as the two boys came walking out of the gym something like an explosion sounded, and across the open space shocked, green eyes met Marinette’s, as sirens wailed to life in the distance. Marinette was running before she thought about it and she swiftly made it outside the school and onto the sidewalk, where people were pointing at the strange smoke that was rising over the city. 

"An Akuma attack?" Alya asked and Marinette jumped, not realizing that she and the two boys had joined her on the street. "We have got to go check it out! Come on, Nino!" she cried and grabbing Nino’s arm, started to drag him towards the smoke.   
It was an akuma attack, Marinette was almost positive it was, which meant she was needed. She watched Alya continue to drag Nino and glanced around, ready to make some excuse to Adrien for running off but he wasn’t there. For a brief moment she wondered where Adrien had gone. He had been standing in the street just a moment ago, but then she shook her head and ran back into the school to find a good place to transform. Moments later she was swinging out over the rooftops as Ladybug, heading for the center of the newest Akuma attack.   
As she neared the site of the smoke she noted strange gossamer threads covering parts of the rooftop then, as she came to the edge of a plaza, she saw what was on fire. A car was embedded in a bus, which was on its side in the center of the street. There were people in the bus and Ladybug leapt into action. Dropping to the street below, she spun her yoyo until it was a streak of pink light, then she used it to slice through the metal of the bus’ roof. She easily peeled the layer back to reveal several surprised citizens. 

"Everyone ok?" she asked, and for the most part people nodded as they climbed out past her. "What happened here?" 

A man with a nasty looking gash on his head was the one to answer. "A monster threw the car after pulling the poor soul out. I don’t know where they went, but you have to stop him!"

Ladybug nodded. "I will do my best. You guys get to safety." 

The people nodded and Ladybug decided to get to higher ground, so she could really tell what was going on. As she cleared the rooftops, she could see what looked like a strand of white hair stuck to the wall and several other places. Grabbing it she realized it was sticky, but very strong, and she ended up having to wipe it from her glove by sticking it to a nearby chimney. A commotion coming from her left caught her attention and flitting over the rooftops she ran towards the danger. Chat joined her moments later, easily keeping pace with her. 

"What are we dealing with this time, My Lady?" Chat asked.

"I'm not sure to be honest. Some people I pulled out of a crashed bus said it was a monster," Ladybug answered.

"Like the Horrificator?" Chat chuckled then, as they passed a street, they noticed the collateral damage and the people running. 

They leapt into action landing in the street only to pause at the scene before them, and what a scene it was. It was like something from a science fiction movie and for a moment Ladybug could only stare, rather dumbfounded, at the man that had four spider-like legs sprouting from his back. He balanced on them, his human legs dangling about two feet from the ground and, of all things, he appeared to be wearing a lab coat. Chat arrived at her side moments later, knocking her from her stupefied shock when he asked, "Who are you supposed to be, Bug Man?" 

The akumatized person spun around on the four hairy spider legs, making Tiki shriek "Eeeew," in her mind, and Ladybug agreed wholeheartedly, unable to stop the shudder of revulsion that rolled through her. 

"I am Arachnis!" he shouted, his eyes flicking about, before noticing them. "Ahhh, the bug and the cat. I was wondering how much damage I was going to have to cause before you showed up." 

Both Ladybug and Chat took an involuntary step back as they saw what Arachnis' front looked like. His whole body was covered in dark brown fur and two strange looking devices adorned his arms. His fingers ended in sharp claws, but his face was the worst. It was a human shaped oval and had two eyes where they should be but the eyes were rounded and solid black. Ladybug noticed that three smaller sets of eyes also adorned his face two on his forehead and two near the temples on each side. His nose appeared to be two slits near the center of the oval, and his jaw seemed to be able to unhinge itself, as he gave them a smile that bore far too many sharp teeth for a normal person.

"Uh…" Chat said, for once at a loss for words, sweeping his baton out before him. 

Ladybug stepped forward, her own weapon ready. "What do you want?" 

Arachnis tilted his head, its black eyes blank and unblinking. "Want? Oh, yes, not to worry, I have already tied up the annoying flies that were irritating me. Now, I am simply fulfilling my half of the bargain." 

"Hawkmoth," both Ladybug and Chat said at the same time. 

Arachnis shifted impatiently on his spider-like legs, causing his body to sway. "Yes. Now please hand over your miraculous, so that I may go back to my intended prey." 

"That person you pulled from the car. What did you do to them?" Ladybug snapped, starting to spin her yoyo and Chat took the cue from her, entering a crouch, ready to go the instant she moved. 

Arachnis made a clicking sound that was clearly a laugh and it sent a shiver through both of them. "To be honest I was thinking of eating them," he said, then cocking his head asked, "Would you like to join me for an early dinner?" 

"Ewww, no!" the superhero duo cried, as Arachnis launched himself forward in an attack.

Chat went right as Ladybug darted left and spiky, hair legs slammed into the spot they had occupied moments before. Chat swiped his baton out as Arachnis turned, attempting to take out the hairy spider’s legs. Almost seeming to sense the baton’s movement, Arachnis reared out of the way, his arm coming up and in the next instant a white mass shot forward, slamming the baton to the ground. Chat wrenched at the baton, breaking it free, as Arachnis’ front legs swept down, slamming into his chest and tossing him back into a car. The metal crumpled on impact and he slumped to the concrete falling out of the Chat shaped dent.

"Chat!" Ladybug screamed, as Arachnis moved towards her partner. 

Slinging her yoyo out, she caught one of his legs and yanked. It made him stumble slightly and twisting, he raised his arm, sending what looked like white string at her. Swiftly disengaging, she threw herself sideways, but some of the white threads caught her foot and sent her sprawling to the ground. More string slammed into her already trapped leg, and spinning her yoyo rapidly, she just barely avoided getting hit with more. Ladybug twisted about unable to pull her leg free and, seeing that she was now occupied, Arachnis turned back to the motionless Chat. It was webbing sticking to her, with a tenacity that surprised her, and she quickly realized that she couldn’t pull free of it, even with her strength. Spinning her yoyo in a small, swift arc, she sliced through it, careful not to hit herself as she had done numerous times before. Leg freed, Ladybug darted to her feet to see Arachnis bending over Chat, his hands reaching towards the ring that Chat wore on his finger. 

"CHAT!" Ladybug screamed


	2. Chapter 2

Finally, at what seemed like the last possible second, Chat moved. His baton twisted up and elongated smashing directly into one of Arachnis' main eyes, before scrapping past the two on the side of his head. Arachnis screeched, his hands flying to his face, and jolted backwards, even as Chat lunged after something stuck to his coat. Clearly, the blow Chat had taken had done some damage though because he only managed two steps before collapsing to his knees. 

"MANGY ANIMAL!" Arachnis screeched and reared back, ready to strike a killing blow, since he realized that Chat hadn't moved. Chat glanced up dazed, his body not feeling quite right, and in the next instant felt something wrap solidly around his waist.

Ladybug knew she wouldn’t make it to her partner’s side in time to save him and the thought of seeing him struck down, before she could make it to him, terrified her in a way nothing else ever had. So she acted instinctively, relying of previous memories, and had done what she could. Tossing her yoyo over the top of a light she slung the rest of it out, causing it to wrap solidly around Chat’s middle. The deadly spiked legs came sweeping down and Ladybug hauled back on her yoyo with all of her strength, hoisting Chat up and away from the monster akuma, before throwing herself into the action in his place. Using her yoyo for Chat’s rescue had left her weaponless, but she refused to let that slow her down. She simply threw herself forward in a flurry of kicks and punches that bewildered Arachnis' injured eyes. Arachnis tried to back off, slashing at her and firing webs from his strange contraptions on his arms, but Ladybug was pissed and in no mood to give him any kind of leniency. Instead, she drove him back away from Chat and the other people who were still trying to flee the area. Ducking a sweeping leg strike, Ladybug slid across the cobblestones under him, finally seeing what Chat had so desperately tried to grab. It was a badge of some kind and it shimmered that strange malevolent purple that Hawkmoth’s butterflies did. 

"My Lady!" a voice cried, as she popped up to her feet behind Arachnis. 

A baton soared into her vision, and she snatched it from the air, as Arachnis started to twist around to face her. 

"You, damned bug! I will devour you!" he shrieked, one hand still plastered to his face. 

Ladybug was already swinging the staff like a baseball bat and it smashed home into the arm he brought up to protect himself with. The baton smashed into his arm and chest hard making a satisfying crack, then the web component smashed open, spraying webbing in all directions. Ladybug darted back, avoiding the spray, and watched as Arachnis wasn’t so lucky. The spray was far closer to him, than it had been to her, and glancing over to see Chat stumbling towards them, Ladybug decided to end this fight, before it got even more out of hand. She moved forward, baton in hand, as Arachnis was still attempting to scramble back, the sticky webbing catching at his lab coat and other legs. 

"No, no, no!" Arachnis wailed and seeing Ladybug darting forward again, he spat at her. 

It was an acid spit and she dodged the first attack on instinct, gaping in surprise, as the spit ate its way into the cobbles. Arachnis was still stuck in his webs and, although he was slicing through them rapidly with the clawed ends of his legs, he still needed some more time. Realizing her time to attack was running out, Ladybug went after him again and he spat, making her dodge to the side where he then shot webbing in an attempt to hinder her movements. He could see Chat stumbling towards them and, snapping several more strands, he launched two successive attacks. More webbing flew at Ladybug and catching the webbing on the baton, she spun it away from her body, not seeing the wad of acid spit that followed. A black blur knocked her out of the way of the spit and they rolled out of sight, behind a parked vehicle, even as Arachnis shot webs after them. 

"He…has…acid spit," Ladybug managed, her chest heaving as she recovered from Chat’s tackle and the vigorous fighting she had just done. She had seen the acid spit too late to counter, and she knew that without Chat she would have been badly injured at best. 

"Are you alright, My Lady?" Chat asked, pushing himself up. 

Ladybug nodded and peeked around the edge of the car. Arachnis was gone, leaving a mass of sticky webbing and two sizzling holes in the cobbles. She sighed and slumped back against the ground. 

"He's gone. We did some damage to him, but I don’t think he is going to be slowed for very long," Ladybug said and Chat nodded, holding her yoyo out to her. They exchanged weapons and Marinette couldn’t help but sigh in relief to have her yoyo back in hand.

"Thanks for saving my pelt back there, My Lady. I'm fur-ever in your debt," he said, climbing to his feet and holding a hand out for her to take. 

"You're feeling better," Ladybug muttered and took his hand, allowing him to pull her to her feet. 

Chat rolled his shoulders and winced slightly. "I was merely stunned, My Lady. It took me longer to get out of your yoyo." 

Ladybug frowned, remembering how he had stumbled as he had rushed towards them. "Chat, if you are hurt you can't fight. This guy isn't like the Pigeon man, he will be far more dangerous to handle and we can't afford to make mistakes." 

Chat shook his head. "You are not going into this fight alone, Ladybug. I really am ok. I was dizzy when I first got out of your yoyo, but I am better now. Besides, I can always find you, so there is no use in trying to ditch me." 

She grimaced, knowing full well that both of their weapons held the ability to find the other. There really was no point in trying to ditch him she knew, but she was still worried. 

"Come, My Lady, we really should be cat-ching this crazy spider," Chat said. 

Ladybug shuddered, both at the bad pun and the spider comment. "Fine, let’s get this over with, then." 

She allowed Chat to run first, keeping an eye on his movement to really gauge how badly he was injured. After a few minutes of silence, she determined that he was either telling the truth or he was a fantastic actor. Either that or the injuries were all internal, and there would be no way for her to tell before it was too late. 

"I don’t believe we have ever had an opponent move quite so fast," Chat said, as they jumped a gap between buildings. 

"He's got four extra legs and that web shooter thing. We need to find the people he took before he hurts them," Ladybug answered, but even she was at a loss over the direction to go. 

Not knowing what else to do, they decided to follow the strands of silken webbing hoping that they would lead wherever Arachnis had gone. They ran for several minutes in silence, not wanting to waste their air, when suddenly a voice broke into their silence.

"Ladybug, help!" A female voice cried, causing her and Chat to skid to a halt. 

Peering around, they finally spotted a woman hiding halfway behind a dumpster and nodding to one another, the duo went to her aid. Once they got to her side, Ladybug realized that there was a man leaning against the dumpster, clutching what appeared to be an injured arm. Blood matted his hair and both of them had white strand like hairs stuck all over them. It was webbing from the akuma, she realized, as Chat crouched down beside the man to eye the wounds a little closer. 

"What happened to you two?" Ladybug asked. 

The woman shivered. "That monster came and attacked us at work, screaming about how we stole his job! He tied us up and we were hanging in some web thing, but these two kids found us and cut us loose." 

Chat went stiff and Ladybug gaped at the woman. "Two kids?" she asked, a feeling of apprehensive horror drifting through her. Most people, especially these days, ran from akuma attack zones as soon as they heard the ruckus begin. There was a very short list of fools who ran towards an akuma attack and Ladybug could only think of one person on that very short list who would cut someone free from spider webs.

"Were they both dark skinned? One with a phone and the other with headphones?" Ladybug asked, causing Chat to glance up at her strangely. 

"Y-yes…" the woman answered, a look of confusion creeping over her face."How?" 

Ladybug grimaced. It was Alya and Nino, there was no doubt about it. Somehow they had found Arachnis’ lair, and while she and Chat had been fighting, they had been cutting Arachnis’ captives free. 

"Where were you being held?" Ladybug asked, and the woman simply pointed in the direction of Arachnis’ lair. 

Chat bounced to his feet. "He has already stopped bleeding and the cure should fix the broken arm. We've got to go help them… uh… those kids, otherwise they will end up as spider food." 

Ladybug nodded, then turned to the woman who looked still very confused and frightened. "Your best bet is to stay here and stay hidden. When the webs on your clothes vanish it will be safe to come out. We have got to go help the other people and stop Arachnis before he hurts someone badly."

"What if the webs don’t vanish?" the woman asked, her eyes wide and watching, as Chat paced back around to Ladybugs side. 

The two superheroes shared a look before Chat answered, "If the webs don’t vanish it means we have failed. If that happens…" 

Ladybug shoved him forward, a clear ‘time to get moving’ look on her face, and the woman grabbed her arm, making her pause, even as Chat leapt to the rooftops. 

"You're just kids, too." She whispered. "I never realized it before. What happens if you fail? Is there an adult?"

Ladybug grimaced, and ever so gently pulled the lady’s hand off her arm. "If we fail, Paris falls," she answered, and since she didn’t have any more information on what their failure would mean, she left it at that, rushing off after Chat who was waiting for her on the rooftops. 

They started in the direction the woman indicated as soon as Ladybug’s feet touched the rooftops and, after a moment of silence, Chat spoke. 

"You know the two people who are cutting Arachnis’ victims free." It wasn’t really a question, more a statement. 

Ladybug sighed, rapidly thinking of how she could explain this one away. "There are very few people who run towards an akuma attack these days, especially kids. It’s probably Alya and whatever poor person she has with her today." She already knew it was Nino, of course, but she couldn’t tell Chat that. He wouldn't even know who Nino was.

Chat chuckled, dodging a line of laundry. "I wonder if it's Marinette." 

Ladybug almost tripped and Chat shot her a questioning look as she recovered her balance. "It can’t be Marinette, but it’s probably Ni-uh, that boy Alya hangs out with." 

"Uh, right…" Chat managed, but her words confused him. Why couldn’t it be Marinette? After all, before he took off, she had been following Alya and Nino hadn't she? Also, how did Ladybug know Nino’s name?

He wanted to ask his Lady another question, but realized that now was not the time. They were coming up on a plaza and the webs were becoming far thicker. 

"We might need to pad down to street level to navigate, My Lady," Chat said, as the webs forced them to slice through, using his claws and her yoyo. 

"I think you're…" Ladybug began, before a scream interrupted her.


	3. Chapter 3

At times like these, Ladybug was grateful for the unconscious communication that the two of them seemed to share. One glance was all it took and she had her arms wrapped around his neck as he sent them soaring sky high over the webs by elongating his baton. They fell forward and Chat wrapped his free hand around her waist as they cleared the last webs, giving them an unobstructed view of the plaza below. There were four people in the plaza, two adults that neither of them recognized, Alya, and Nino. Nino had a knife in his hand and was partially covered in webs, as he sliced some poor screaming woman out of a cocoon. He was over six feet off the ground and Alya was shoving at the people on the ground, clearly trying to get them to move. The adults were frozen in fear, staring at Arachnis who was rapidly advancing on them. 

As they fell, Ladybug slung out her yoyo to catch on some thick webbing that crossed the span of the Plaza and, as one, the superhero duo twisted their bodies, causing them to soar straight at Arachnis. 

"My Dinner!" Arachnis shrieked, coming up on the children who, despite his sudden appearance, were still trying to help his flies flee. "How dare you…"   
In the next moment, he was slammed sideways by twin impacts. Chat’s and Ladybug’s feet hit the cobbles, as Arachnis slammed through some of his webbing, then into a short wall. 

"Get the people out. Use your claws if you have to, and I'll keep this thing busy!" Ladybug snapped and Chat, while he didn’t agree with the idea, didn’t want to argue.   
She wouldn’t give him a job in the heat of battle for no good reason and as he ran towards the still trapped people he realized that she didn't have any real fast way to free a person from webbing. They both knew that this particular akuma wouldn’t back off easy, so any people in the area would only serve as a hindrance to them. Sliding his baton back into place at his lower back, Chat hauled the two adults to their feet, shoving them towards a tunnel like entrance in the webs. 

"Get moving, if you don’t want to be eaten!" Chat snapped, before leaping into the webs himself to free more of the trapped victims. 

Ladybug was avoiding acid spit and was extremely grateful that Chat had agreed to free the people without any kind of argument. All she had to do was keep this damned Arachnis on this side of the plaza and everything would be fine. The problem was that Arachnis was determined to catch the people he referred to as flies. He sprayed webbing at her, forcing Ladybug to leap sideways, giving him the slightest bit of room to try and dodge through her defense again. Throwing her yoyo out, she managed to catch him about his waist and heaving with all her strength, she threw him. He flew several feet before smashing into the ground and sliding to a stop almost at someone’s feet. In the next instant Ladybug’s heart stopped because, as she turned ready to go after Arachnis again, she suddenly realized that she had thrown the akuma practically at Alya’s feet. Somehow, in the fighting, she had slipped around the far side of the plaza and was still filming as she gazed down at Arachnis. 

"What are you doing! RUN!" Ladybug screamed at her, but it was already too late.

Arachnis rolled and scooped her off her feet, making her let out a terrified shriek, before leaping into the nearest webbing. He skittered sideways, just barely avoiding Ladybug’s yoyo, then disappeared over the top of the wall. 

"Chat, catch up!" Ladybug tossed over her shoulder and, ignoring his return comment, launched herself after them. 

"You should wait for Chat," Tiki cried inside her mind, and Ladybug grimaced.

"I can't, Tiki, he has Alya and it's my fault," She replied. "Besides, I can't let her get hurt."

Arachnis wasn’t making it easy to follow, as he shot webs behind him at random intervals and seemed perfectly comfortable making leaps that even Ladybug had difficulty doing. She was falling behind, and as he cleared a massive building she fully lost sight of him. Screams echoed over to her, making her heart clench painfully.

"No!" Ladybug snapped and jumped onto the nearby buildings, going around in hopes that she would be able to catch sight of Arachnis once more. It took her precious seconds to get across the street and back up onto the roofs, and she paused at the corner, deciding that this was the perfect place for a trap. Webs stretched out across an outdoor café over 15 feet above the ground, and sitting near the center of the net like webs was Alya. She was messily cocooned and Ladybug could see she was desperately trying to pull herself free. 

"Trap?" Tiki queried and Marinette nodded, pressing herself against the side of the building to stay out of sight. "Oh, it's definitely a trap," she muttered, as her yoyo vibrated gently. 

Flipping it open she saw Chat, hair flying, as he moved at top speed. "I have your position and will be there in less than a minute. Paw-lease, don’t attack without me," He said and Ladybug rolled her eyes. 

"Better get here quick because he has Alya pinned in some webs. It’s obviously a trap, but I don’t see him, quite yet." 

Chat grimaced. "We really need to have a talk with that girl about self preservation," he muttered and Ladybug agreed, before hanging up. 40 seconds later Chat moved into place next to her, panting from the break necked pace he had set himself. 

As his breathing began to slow, Ladybug shifted, still not seeing Arachnis. "I still don’t see him. Are you ok to make a move now, or do you need another minute?" she asked.

Chat shook his head. "I'm fine. You get Alya out and I will keep Arachnis busy this time." 

"Chat…" Ladybug began, and Chat pressed a finger ever so gently to her lips. 

"It’s my turn to be the bait, My Lady," he whispered, causing a blush to spread over her cheeks. Then, before she could object, he darted out onto the webbing. 

Six steps out into the webbing, a black blur detached itself from the main wall and flew at Chat, in an air attack. Knowing he didn’t see it coming and unable to scream a warning in time, Ladybug threw her yoyo, catching Arachnis’ human legs and hauled back, throwing him off his trajectory. Instead of landing directly on Chat, Arachnis landed awkwardly to the side and Chat spun, lashing upwards with his staff. Trusting her partner to keep Arachnis busy, Ladybug charged out across the thick net-like webbing to where Alya lay. 

"Hold very still," she said, and Alya went rock solid as Ladybug slashed her free using her yoyo. 

"I'm so sorry!" Alya cried, leaping into Ladybug’s arms as soon as she was able. Ladybug returned the hug, knowing what little comfort she could offer would still help. 

"Alya, I need to get you out of harm’s way, so we can fight this thing. I'm going to lower you to the ground using my yoyo and then you need to get indoors. Please don’t try and stick around to tape anything, ok?" 

"NO, way. I'm sick of spiders," Alya managed, untangling her arms from Ladybug’s shoulders. 

"So am I," Ladybug answered, swiftly wrapping her yoyo around Alya’s middle. Once she was tied off, Ladybug pushed Alya through one of the net webbing’s many holes and started to lower her to the ground. As Alya’s feet hit the ground, a yelp captured Ladybug’s attention and she gasped in horror. Chat was pinned his one leg and arm trapped in webbing as Arachnis’ acid spit dripped onto his suit, causing him to writhe in pain. Arachnis’ clawed human hands scrabbled at him, trying to get in close to his miraculous. Only Chat’s baton was stopping him from taking it at this point, as he managed keep him off and Ladybug cried out, "NO!" before sprinting at the two. Thankfully, Alya had managed to get free of Ladybug’s yoyo, and it snapped to her hand as she made a running leap right onto Arachnis’ back. Looping the yoyo string into Arachnis’ jaw, she yanked back with all of her incredible strength, jerking his whole body upright. 

"My Lady!" Chat cried, alarmed, as he watched Arachnis’ body buck and stumble, as he tried to throw her off. The acid on his arm and chest burned as he swiped at the webbing with his claws, slowly working his way free. 

Arachnis bucked under Ladybug and she desperately tried to hold on, to give Chat the time needed to free himself. She felt like one of those cowboys in a rodeo and she found that she had a new sense of respect for them, as Arachnis shrieked and twisted beneath her. Suddenly he threw himself sideways, his body twisting awkwardly, as he finally managed to dislodge her. She slid sideways, managing to hold onto her yoyo even though she was unable to catch her footing, as he ripped the yoyo string from his mouth. Realizing she was off, Arachnis twisted sharply to the other side, jerking Ladybug off the net as he slung her sideways and she hit the webbing, rolling a few turns before partially falling through one of the holes. Scrambling for a hold, she caught herself and hooked a foot into the webbing to climb back up. In hindsight, it was a bad decision, for in the next moment webbing struck her in the chest pinning her in the hole. Spinning her yoyo in a swift arc she lashed out at Arachnis who caught the yoyo in a web blast, slamming it to the net web before it did any damage to himself or the web under his claws. Ladybug struggled against the webbing, trying to rip it apart, as Arachnis advanced, his mandibles clicking. Two web blasts later and she couldn’t even move her arms. 

"Mmmmm, what a pretty little bug I've caught," He hissed, drawing close enough that she could see the damage Chat’s Baton had done to his eyes earlier. Three of the eight were grayed out and for a brief moment she wondered if he was going to be blind even after he was de-akumatized. She hadn't left him unscathed either, in their brief skirmishes. His fur was looking very much the worse for wear, two of his sharp teeth were missing from his jaw, and a bloodstain covered a small part of his jacket. She swallowed hard at the last observation, she hoped it was his blood on the jacket and not some poor stranger’s. Hawkmoth’s mask flashed over his face and Arachnis twisted his head at an awkward angle, that made Ladybug’s stomach churn. 

"Yes, yes, but can I eat her?" he asked, and Ladybug gaped at him in horror. 

"Chat!!!" she screamed, hoping he at least was freeing himself. 

Arachnis flinched back as the mask flashed across his face again, then slowly he reached a clawed hand out to her ears. "Fine, duty first, food later," he murmured.

"Marinette, I can't do anything!" Tiki cried frantically in her mind, her fear for her charge as well as herself practically palpable. 

Revulsion surged through her, as Ladybug jerked her head to the side and twisted her body as far as it could go, as she did everything in her power to avoid those hands touching her ears. 

"Don’t touch me!" Ladybug screeched, kicking at the underside of the web as clawed finger tips pressed against the back of her earlobe. 

"I'm coming!" She heard Chat yell, but she knew it wouldn’t be in time. In sheer desperation, knowing it was her only option, Ladybug twisted her head and sank her teeth deep into Arachnis’ hand. 

Arachnis roared and tried to yank his hand back, but Ladybug refused to let go. She knew the consequences of letting go and she was not about to face those consequences without a serious fight. 

In the next moment, however, a brown blur flashed past her and pain exploded along her shoulder. Screaming, she released Arachnis’ hand, swiftly realizing that his teeth were now sunk deep into her shoulder. It felt as if a dozen hypodermic needles were all jabbed an inch deep into her and they burned like fire as Archnis’ jaw clenched down harder. 

"Marinette!!!" Tiki screeched, as Ladybug echoed her scream out loud.

"CATACLYSM!" Chat roared, and the webbing all around them seemed to dissolve at once.


	4. Chapter 4

Ladybug barely felt herself fall as Arachnis was slammed off her midair. Thankfully, he had disengaged his jaws the moment the webs vanished, and as they began to fall he was tossed sideways into several tables where he lay still. Chat’s arms wrapped around her as they fell and he managed to land on his feet, though he dropped to his knees as soon as he landed. Chat set her down on the ground before him and she lay back against the cobbles, hissing in pain, gripping her shoulder. 

"Well, that’s a first," she whispered, feeling sick to her stomach, as she tried and failed to sit up.

"Ladybug, oh, Ladybug, I'm so sorry," Chat whimpered. 

Deciding not moving was the best option for the moment, she stared up into Chat’s eyes, and for a second she almost didn’t recognize them. His eyes were always cat-like, but now they seemed to burn as his pupils narrowed into hair fine slits. 

"Arachnis?" Ladybug questioned.

They were still in danger, though Chat didn’t seem to be concerned, while the look in his eyes confused and worried her. That, and the fact he hadn't responded, spurred her to speak again. 

"Chat, the akuma," Ladybug said, her voice a little louder this time.

Chat blinked, his worry and fear for her evident. Then, glancing up, he leapt over her on all fours, hair bristled up and a deadly snarl searing its way from his chest. "Touch her again and I will kill you." 

Turning her head, Ladybug saw Arachnis had gained his feet, though one of his spider like legs was dragging a little, as if it were damaged, as he tried to move towards them. At the sight of Chat on all fours, eyes blazing, and his teeth bared, pure instinctual fear forced the spider akuma to halt in its tracks. Ladybug watched, amazed, as the spider akuma froze and even Hawkmoth’s purple mask couldn’t spur him forward. A long tense moment passed as neither side moved, then Chat decided he'd had enough. His belt tail lashed through the air as Chat darted forward, the snarl coming from his lips more akin to a roar. Arachnis skittered backwards not even bothering to try and attack, as he ran from Chat’s fury. Arachnis was up the side of the building and gone before Chat could make it to him and he hissed in fury, even as he started his own climb up the wall. 

"Marinette, Stop Him!" Tiki cried and Ladybug scrambled to her feet, ignoring the pain, and almost tripped as she ran forward. 

Chat was almost to the top of the wall and she slung her yoyo out, catching him about his waist, as his head cleared the top of the roof. Hauling back on the yoyo, she ignored the pain in her shoulder, yanking him off his perch as a spray of acid soared into the space he had occupied moments before. Chat twisted midair, managing to land on his feet for a second time that day, and Ladybug sprinted to his side as he tried to undo the yoyo about his waist. He snarled as she neared him and she could see the feral glaze that coated his vision. Ladybug didn’t think twice as she tackled him, causing them to roll under one of the tables. She pressed her body to his, effectively pinning him to the ground, one hand pressed over his mouth to silence him. Ladybug didn’t know if Arachnis would come back down the wall or run, but she really didn’t want Chat running off into a potentially life threatening situation when he was clearly not in the right mind. A few tense moments passed before Chat’s arms slowly wrapped around her and his eyes softened into a look of sorrow. 

"Are you ok now?" Ladybug whispered and Chat nodded, as his pupils returned to their normal cat-like state. A beep echoed between them and Chat saw his miraculous was down to the last toe. "There is a Café behind us. You can recharge in there," Ladybug said and Chat nodded again, clearly upset. They climbed out from under the table, after making sure the coast was clear, then Ladybug squeaked as Chat lifted her off the ground and into his arms. 

"Please?" he begged, as she started to struggle and realizing he actually hadn't fully recovered from whatever instinctual surge he had gone through, Ladybug allowed herself to relax in his arms as he ran for the Cafés’ back doors. Alya was there and she threw the door wide open to permit them entry. There were a few people in the Café and they stared openly in shock at the state of the duo was in. Ladybug felt herself flush at the stares, but Chat simply ground out, "Food Pantry?" as his miraculous beeped again.

A cook showed them the way and after setting her inside, accepting a med kit, then barring the door, Chat turned to her. "You need medical attention," he said. 

"Your transformation is about to come undone and your worried about a small bite wound?" Ladybug snapped, ignoring Tiki’s disbelieving hiss. 

"I don’t care if you know who I am. Close your eyes if you don’t want to know, but I am going to have a look at your wound," Chat answered, his voice holding a tone that brooked no argument. 

"Uh oh," Tiki whispered in her mind and Ladybug muttered, "Uh oh, is right!"

Chat’s head cocked to the side, confused at her words as he took a step towards her and Ladybug stood, her own mounting fury showing itself. In a way she understood his fear for her and his subsequent instinctual reaction, but they were partners and they had both been injured before. Never had she ever seen a reaction like this before from him and, in a way, it scared her. 

She knew she needed to nip this in the bud so, pointing a finger at him, she demanded, "So, you're going to look at my wound?" 

"Yes," he hissed, and she could practically sense his instinctual side coming to the surface again. 

"And what if I'm naked under my suit?" Ladybug snarled. 

Chat’s face was priceless as a sense of realization washed over him, bringing him to his senses. "Uh... I, uh…" he managed, as a flash of green light enveloped him. 

"Oh for goodness sake!" Ladybug cried, swiftly closing her eyes and turning away to avoid seeing his identity.

"Thank Goodness! I was worried we were going to lose you for a minute!" An unfamiliar voice cried.

"Plagg… Just… eat some cheese," Chat moaned, his voice sounding different, yet familiar, without the glamour of the kwami’s magic.

Tiki giggled in Ladybug’s mind and she managed a smile of her own. She could practically feel Chat’s embarrassment from her spot, as he murmured, "I'm sorry, Ladybug." 

"I'm sorry too, Chat. We are partners and sometimes we will get hurt. My wound really isn't that bad and besides, you were hit with some acid. Are you ok?" she asked.

"It’s fine," he murmured again, going silent as he sifted through the med kit for something. 

Realizing his attention was thankfully taken for at least a few minutes, she slowly shifted and moved her shoulder, testing her own wound. She didn’t dare open her eyes, for fear of temptation, so she used her other senses to test it out. It felt as if it had already stopped bleeding and the acid spit that had hit her suit from Archanis’ mouth hadn't gone all the way through to her skin. The thing that worried her was the slight burning, numbing sensation, that was ever so slowly starting to spread from the wound. 

"Tiki?" she murmured softly, so Chat couldn’t hear the question obvious in her tone. 

"Its venom, Marinette, my magic will hold the worst effects at bay for a bit, but we can't un-transform and risk your body being exposed without my magic. I'm afraid it might kill you," Tiki answered, sending a tremor down her spine. A slight tingling sensation tickled the back of her mind and Plagg sighed. 

"Yeah, yeah, ok, I'm almost done," Plagg said. 

"Huh?" Chat asked and Tiki giggled in Ladybug’s mind again.

"Did you just talk to him?" Ladybug asked, her voice still soft, so Chat couldn’t hear.

"Yes. We can do that through our magic. I told you before that all Ladybugs and Chat Noirs have a bond. Plus, if we leave it to him he will take forever and we don’t have forever at this moment," Tiki replied, making Ladybug smile. 

"Alright, kid, let’s get moving," Plagg said, and a moment later Chat called, "Claws Out!" 

A brief flash of light later and a claw tipped hand gently tapped her good shoulder. "It’s safe to look now," he said, and Ladybug turned to face him.

He couldn’t look her in the eyes as he stared openly at her shoulder, and Ladybug sighed. "Chat, it’s already stopped bleeding, and see, I can move it just fine," she shifted her arm, rolling her shoulder to prove her point. "There is no need to go all feral on Arachnis. We just need to grab his badge, where the Akuma is, and then we can go home or whatever." 

"I'm sorry for the way I reacted. Plagg says it's something that happens from time to time. Apparently, it’s a cat’s instincts to protect what he thinks is his ma…" He choked on his last word and Ladybug eyed him curiously, as he turned a bright red. 

"Protect what?" she asked, as his blush deepened, and Tiki giggled in her mind. There was something going on here and Ladybug wasn’t sure what exactly it was.

"You… uh… we're partners, and Chat Noir has always protected Ladybug, so that attack, when you screamed, it just…" Chat managed, as a knock on the door interrupted any further conversation. 

Looking relieved, Chat ran for the door and opened it, revealing Alya. "Are you two ok?" she asked, taking in Ladybug’s pin-pricked bloody shoulder and Chat’s bright red, frazzled appearance. 

"We will be fine as long as you stay here out of trouble. We are going after Arachnis," Ladybug answered, and Chat merely nodded mutely in agreement, as they moved out of the kitchen. 

"I need to make sure my friends are ok, but I won't go after Arachnis for video purposes," Alya replied. 

"Be safe then, come on, Chat." Ladybug answered and ran for the back door. 

They ran out into the courtyard and Chat scooped her up as he used his baton to swing them up onto the roof. For once, Ladybug didn’t complain, knowing that the less she exerted herself, the less the venom would spread. They half expected Arachnis to attack the moment their feet hit the rooftops, but when he didn’t they both glanced around, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. Instead, after a few minutes of searching, Chat called Ladybug’s attention to the webs that littered the roofs, practically in a straight line. It was an obvious bread crumb trail, but they followed the spider webs knowing that it was the only real way to track Arachnis. They were rapidly heading into more populated areas and as they leapt across a street a splattering of webbing soared at them. Chat spun his staff catching the webbing attack and Ladybug caught his arm as he nearly missed the roof. Realizing his attack failed, Arachnis tried to run but they were already one step ahead. Using the momentum of catching Chat, Ladybug spun and Chat kicked off the roof letting go of Ladybug’s arm at the same time. He flew straight as an arrow and smashed feet first into Arachnis. The blow knocked him right off the roof and down into the main street, as Chat landed on his back on the roof. While Chat scrambled to the edge, careful not to fall off himself, Ladybug watched Arachnis twist and just barely manage to land on his spider legs, crushing a table outside a little cafe. He wasn’t down, much less out, although she could tell that he was getting tired. Arachnis glanced up and seeing their observant gaze, turned and skittered away. 

"Let’s go!" Chat cried, following Arachnis as people below screamed and ran from the soon to be battlefield.


	5. Chapter 5

Their feet hit the street and they split away from each other by silent agreement, both trying to draw attention so the other could make a move for the badge. At one point Chat almost had it, but was forced to back off as Arachnis threw a car at him. The car smashed into the side of a building and knocked a sign almost completely from its moorings, as Ladybug yanked a person out of the way of falling debris. The sign stayed up, just barely, hanging at a crazy angle, and Ladybug darted in with a grimace. This was getting dangerous, far more so than normal, not to mention that her shoulder as well as her arm were totally numb and she was starting to feel dizzy. Chat threw a chunk of street at Arachnis' head, making him twist and snarl. Not wanting her partner’s distraction to go to waste, she made a move at the lab coat and missed as Arachnis saw her coming at the last second, dodging back out of reach. His arm flew up, web shooter pointing at her and not wanting to get stuck again, Ladybug ducked, dodging in closer as she tried to avoid getting hit by webbing. Arachnis tracked her and as close as she was, Ladybug threw a solid punch, remembering what had happened the last time. Her strike landed and cracked the casing, rendering it useless for shooting webs, however it didn’t bust wide open as she hoped it would. With a snarl, he kicked at her with his human legs and finally her dizziness betrayed her as she dodged Arachnis' attack. Her dodge was sloppy and nowhere near efficient enough to get her out of his range, so in the next instant a hairy leg crashed into her throwing her down the street.

"Ladybug!" she heard Chat cry, as she hit the ground and rolled, the world continuing to spin even as she came to a halt. 

"Marinette, my magic can't hold this venom off for much longer. We need to use Lucky charm and end this," Tiki cried. 

"I'm moving," Ladybug murmured, pushing herself up with her good arm since her bitten one didn’t seem to want to work anymore. Glancing around, she saw Chat slashing at Arachnis who, managing to grab hold of him, threw him at Ladybug as she was getting to her feet. Twisting midair, Chat slammed his baton into the ground and he slid to a stop several inches from her legs, slightly off to the side in a crouch. 

"Are you alright, My Lady?" He asked, his voice heavily coated with a snarl and Ladybug could see two parallel marks on his suit. Blood pooled up from the tears and she swallowed hard, reaching out to place a hand on his head between his ears. 

She didn’t want to lie to him, but she knew if she told the truth he wouldn’t allow her to do what needed to be done either. He practically purred at the touch and drawing strength from him she took a deep breath. 

"Lucky Charm!" she cried, tossing her yoyo up into the air. Light coalesced and a boot formed, then dropped to her waiting hand. Instantly, her legs went numb and gave out, her heart rate speeding up. 

Chat twisted to face her as she fell to her butt, his eyes going wide as he realized she couldn’t get back up. "Ladybug, what’s wrong?" 

Realizing she couldn’t lie to him she simply said, "Venom, nothing we can do but finish this. What am I supposed to do with this boot, though?" 

Chat gripped his baton so hard his bones creaked. "I could smash him with it until he is nothing but a smear," He offered, the words coming out as a growl. 

Arachnis advanced upon them and Ladybug swiftly glanced about, the world graying out as Lucky Charm did its magic. Arachnis flashed polka dotted, then the broken hanging sign, and finally the boot. 

"I'll distract him with the boot. You knock him over towards the sign. Try to hit the web shooter thing," Ladybug said and Chat nodded, getting out of her way as Arachnis advanced. 

"Running away, little Cat?" Arachnis snapped, his eyes and upper torso following Chat’s movements. 

Ladybug let fly with all of her strength, throwing the boot directly at Arachnis’ face. It smashed into his good eyes and Arachnis screeched, clawing at his face, as the boot’s shoelaces caught on his badge, yanking it from his coat. "Now!" Ladybug yelled, and Chat threw himself forward. Planting his baton and slinging his whole body into the attack, he smashed his feet into Arachnis’ chest and arms. Arachnis flew backwards, the damaged web shooter on his arm bursting apart spraying webs everywhere, some of them catching the edge of the sign above him. Arachnis twisted as he tried to avoid the spraying webs, and as he pulled he brought the whole sign down upon himself. He shrieked, pinned by both his webs and the sign, as Chat got back to his feet exhausted. 

Turning he caught sight of Ladybug who still sat on the ground hunched over and shaking. "Ladybug!" he cried and ran to her side, only pausing to scoop up her Lucky Charm and the badge. 

"Can you stand?" he asked, and she glanced up at him to shake her head. She could hardly see and Tiki was frantic, as she tried desperately to hold off the venom as it coursed through her charge’s system. 

"No, gotta purify akuma," she said, and Chat bent, lifting her bad arm around his shoulders before hauling her upright, since her own legs couldn’t support her anymore. 

"Ready?" he whispered, as they ignored Arachnis’ screams.

"Come on out you nasty bug," she said by way of answer, as Chat slammed his baton into the badge shattering it. The black butterfly wiggled its way out and Ladybug slung out her yoyo, catching it in an instant. Holding the yoyo in her hand Chat pressed a clawed finger to its center, allowing the newly purified butterfly go float free.

"Bye, bye, little butterfly," she managed, the yoyo slipping from her hand to clatter against the ground as she slumped against him.  
Chat kept her upright as he said, "My Lady, the charm!" pressing the boot into her lax hand. "Ladybug, please…" he whispered, knowing they had only moments before it would be too late. Her hand tightened around the boot and with him doing most of the work, they threw the boot up into the air, together calling, "Miraculous Cleanse!" 

To Chat’s relief the boot burst into light that shot off in all directions cleaning up the multiple messes that Arachnis had caused. One streak swept around the two of them and healed them, though Ladybug slumped unconscious in his arms. 

"Ladybug? Ladybug, please wake up!" Chat cried, his worry overwhelming him as he lowered her to the ground, searching for a pulse. For a brief moment he couldn’t find one, then her body shuddered as she took a deep breath and he found her pulse, a deep thump against his fingertips. 

People were beginning to come out of their hiding places as the de-akumatized victim asked the closest person what had happened. Chat shook Ladybug gently, a thousand thoughts whizzing through his mind. She looked peaceful with her eyes closed, her lips slightly parted, and for a moment he was reminded of someone else. Someone who sat behind him and often times fell asleep. He shook his head, clearing it, as a few braver people started to approach, seeing Ladybug not moving. 

"She will be ok," Plagg said, interrupting his frantic thoughts. "The venom is gone, she just needs some sleep. We need to get them to a safe place before they de-transform, though." 

Her earrings beeped, as if echoing the sentiment, and gathering her into his arms Chat set off, ignoring the questions people threw at him. Sprinting across the rooftops, Chat tried to figure out the best place to hide her. He didn’t want to randomly walk into a hotel and ask for a room since that would be awkward, and he couldn’t bring her to his home since his father was there for once. Suddenly, he remembered the school and the mostly constructed maze within. He changed course as her earrings beeped again, grateful that they were already nearby. Slipping into the gym via window, he found a good spot, deep within the maze, before laying her down. Pulling a sheet off a prop, he laid it across her, then darted from the tiny room into the corridor beyond, as her earrings beeped a final time. He jumped a little at the flash of pink light and it took all of his willpower not to peek and see who his lady really was. He dropped to his butt, allowing his own transformation to come undone as he leaned against the wall. 

"Can you check on her?" he asked Plagg, who happily agreed, eager to make sure that Tiki was ok. 

A moment later he darted back out. "She is fine, but her kwami needs food, so I am going to go grab her some stuff." 

"Plagg, I'm fine. She keeps cookies in her purse!" A tiny, feminine voice cried from the inside of the room. 

Plagg phased back through the wall. "Well, I need food too and besides, they will be fine for ten minutes. We are not their babysitters." 

A moment later a red and black blob zipped through the wall, and Adrien sighed as he tried to relax. He quickly found he couldn’t and the words Plagg had whispered to him after he had nearly gone feral came back to him. "I am a cat and we have strong instincts, especially when it comes to our mates. Just be careful because you don’t want to lose yourself to those instincts. If you allow them to take over, you can go nuts, it’s happened before."

"My Mate?" Adrien whispered, wondering how in the heck he was going to tell Ladybug. She didn’t think of him as anything more than partners, and here he was reacting as if she were his mate!

A groan echoed from the room behind him, sending every nerve he had to full attention. 

"Ladybug, are you ok?" He asked, and a grumble answered him. 

"Why am I in my school’s haunted maze on the floor?" she mumbled, making Chat freeze. She recognized this place, which meant she was helping build it. Ladybug was in his class! 

Adrien cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, My Lady. You were unconscious and your transformation was about to wear off. This seemed like a good place to stop, since it is a maze an all."

"C-Chat?" Ladybug squeaked. 

"Not to worry, I haven't seen who you are or anything, though I wouldn’t mind knowing who you are," He answered. 

There was a beat of awkward silence then, "I mean, you don’t have to show me or anything I just, uh, you know…Seeing you hurt and stuff, next time… I just want you to be safe. I mean, if you de-transform and I don’t know who you are and I can't find you, I won't…" he was rambling and Adrien snapped his jaws shut as Plagg returned to his side, holding a piece of cheese. 

Plagg snickered. "You're bright red," he whispered and Adrien groaned, realizing the kwamis had returned, though it hadn't felt like they were gone for very long.

"Plagg, Claws Out," he snapped, deciding he would rather listen to him in his mind, where Ladybug couldn’t hear his teasing words. One flash of green light later and he was cloaked in leather listening to Plagg whine about not finishing his cheese.  
Behind the wall, he could make out a whispered conversation though he couldn't understand the words. Finally, after an eternity of silence, Ladybug sighed as her kwami giggled.

"I promise not to interfere with your civilian life," Chat said. "Also…" 

"I guess you will have to come find me," she answered, her voice filled with good humor as she cut him off mid-sentence, and Chat froze. It was like getting hit in the head with a bucket of ice cold water, for he recognized her voice, recognized that tone. After all, it had just been earlier that day Marinette had spoken those same words to him. He wanted so badly, to rip away the thin wall between them, to confirm his guess, but he couldn’t. He wouldn’t. 

Instead, just barely able to control the tone of his voice, he said, "That sounds like a challenge, My Lady." 

Ladybug chuckled. "Take it as you wish, kitty cat." 

"You realize you have just given your kitty permission to hunt, yes?" He asked, wanting, no, needing clarification. 

She giggled and Chat’s eyes widened, as she answered, "Good luck." He heard her stand, then say, "Tiki, Spots On!" 

A flash of pink light illuminated the panel for a brief moment then she came around the wall, looking good as new. It was a relief to see her like that, completely uninjured, and as he gazed at her a fresh wave of guilt cascaded through him. He hadn't even realized she had been poisoned and then, at the end, having to hold her up to fix everything… a shudder slid down his spine. 

"I'm sorry you were injured because of me," Chat said, looking down at the floor. Ladybug stepped closer and, pressing two fingers to his chin, lifted his gaze back up to hers before pulling him to his feet. 

"You take blows for me all the time. Now you know how I feel. I'm sorry I worried you but I am ok now," she whispered.   
Chat couldn’t help himself he reached out, pulling her into a hug, and for once she didn’t squeak or pull away. Instead, she returned the hug. "I must have really scared you. I'm so sorry, Chat."

She was warm and fit perfectly against him, just like Marinette had the one time he had hugged her tight. Chat sighed, relaxing into her warmth, then as a door slammed open nearby they sprang apart. 

"I'm telling you I saw him carry her this way!" Alya said and the superheroes’ eyes met before they let out almost silent groans. 

"Yeah, but why would they come to our school?" Nino asked, and Ladybug jerked a thumb in the direction of the exit. 

Chat nodded, giving a sweeping gesture that said ‘after you,’ and she moved off into the dimly lit maze. They could hear Alya and Nino enter the maze from the other side and Chat was surprised at the speed at which Ladybug led him out. The only way she could know it so well was if she designed it herself, and that was another nail in the so called coffin as to whom he believed Ladybug really was. They exited out an open door and escaped to the rooftops, where the evening sky shined bright with the lights of Paris. 

"Well, I've got to get home," Ladybug said, her voice soft and Chat nodded, suddenly unable to picture her as anyone but Marinette. They had the same hair, same eyes, and even the way she twisted her fingers nervously was the same as the way Marinette twisted hers. 

Suddenly, she leaned forward pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Thankyouagain," she said swiftly, as Chat’s jaw dropped. 

Before he could say another word, however, she was off swinging to the next building. "See you tomorrow," he whispered and started his own trek home.


	6. Chapter 6

The next day, Adrien was far too eager to get to school. He had been up half the night, even though he had been exhausted, thinking about the similarities between Marinette and Ladybug. The quiet, sweet girl, who sat behind him… could she really be the love of his life? It was close to dawn when he had finally passed out, and he overslept his initial alarm. He bolted from the house and ran the whole way to school, eager to find Marinette and just talk to her. They had never made it to her house for snacks the previous day, and he figured he could always bring that up as an option if she went all shy on him again. It was the final day for setting up the maze, and even though he had awakened early, there were already a ton of people in the gym by the time he got there. He searched the area for Marinette and was about to go into the maze to look when he was sidetracked for a job. He had so badly wanted to refuse, but knew he couldn’t if he didn’t want to draw attention to himself. Swiftly, he had done it and started his search again, only to be found out by a different teacher and sent on yet another errand. The third time he went searching for her, a teacher sent him up into the rafters on a ladder to help hang spooky decorations. At this point Adrien was ready to scream. All he wanted was to find Marinette and talk to her, but it was as if his luck just didn’t want to play nice today. As he finished his third job for the day, Adrien realized that it was almost lunch and from his high position he could see the entire maze as well as the people in it. A grin lit up his face as he scanned the area, finding Marinette alone in a room fairly near his position. Memorizing the route he needed to take in the maze to get to her, Adrien practically flew down the ladder before he darted into the maze, finally managing to avoid the teachers’ watchful eyes. He slowed his pace as he neared her, not wanting her to be alerted to his approach. They were very much alone in this area of the maze, although he could hear everyone laughing and yelling just on the other side of the thin walls. Coming around the last wall separating the two of them, he paused, taking in his princess and trying to understand what she was muttering to herself. She was crouched on the ground, pulling gauze like threads apart so she could continue to cover the room in fake webbing. Slowly, he slipped closer, not yet ready to give himself away and finally he was able to hear what she was muttering.

"Out of all the jobs, I get stuck with this," Marinette muttered, not even realizing that Adrien was behind her. "At least its not sticky… after yesterday, I swear, I will never look at spiders the same way again." 

Adrien felt a fire ignite in his chest. There was no doubt in his mind now, but he had to be sure. Usually, when they defeated a particularly tough Akuma, both he and Ladybug suffered from a sense of heightened awareness for a day or so after. Usually, this translated into extreme jumpiness and a tendency to react first, before rational thought caught up with them. More than once, Ladybug had complained how she had almost struck a poor fool who had grabbed her when she’d least expected it. Adrien found that he had the same problem, but it was easier for him to hide. For the most part, he was totally alone at home and anywhere else he went he always saw people coming at him, long before they had the chance to sneak up on him. With a grin, he slipped forward on silent feet, covering the meager distance between them in seconds. This was probably going to hurt like hell, but it would be so very worth it.

Edging up right behind her, he said, "Hello princess," as he poked his fingers into her sides.

Most girls would have shrieked or at the very least jumped sky high. Not his princess, and definitely not his Ladybug. No, she spun, one leg lashing out so fast not even his cat like reflexes were fast enough to help him dodge. His back smashed into the floor and she was on him in a second. Her legs straddled his middle, one hand tangled in his shirt front as the other fist cocked back to strike a powerful blow, before her mind caught up with her instinctual reaction. She blinked, coming to her senses, and turned a spectacular, bright red color. 

"Good morning!" Adrien said brightly, before shooting a very large grin up at her completely mortified face.

"OhmygoshIamsosorry!" she shrieked as she scrambled off of him. Adrien sat up, the grin never leaving his face, his mind completely made up, even as he tried to breathe. In her nervous scramble, Marinette’s feet tangled in the fake webbing, tripping her up, and she pitched backwards falling right back into his arms. 

"Ghaaa!" she cried and Adrien caught her, holding her close, even as she tried to scramble away again. He started to laugh at her antics and she went still from the shock of being literally in his lap. Slowly he loosened his grip and sat her up a little, so they were at least facing each other. He didn’t release her yet, though, since she looked as if she were about to bolt at any second. She was looking everywhere but him, her shyness and overreaction to being snuck up on sending her into a near frozen state of mortification. The jig was up and Adrien realized that he needed to tell her exactly who he was because, as she was now, Marinette wouldn’t ever think of it. So he decided to be blatantly obvious.

"It looks like I found you, My Lady," he said, a wild grin on his face, as her eyes snapped up to his. 

Confusion reigned there and Adrien paused, wondering if maybe he wasn’t being obvious enough. He tried another approach. "What a paws-itively claw-ful job to get after yesterday," he said, pointing to the bunched webbing near her feet.

Marinette’s jaw fell open in shock. "Chat?!" she squeaked, hands pressing to her mouth, as he finally released her to brace himself more comfortably against the floor. 

"Yes, Princess?" he asked, cocking his head and allowed a grin only Chat could wear spread across his features. A thousand emotions flashed through her eyes before Marinette let out a sound that was somewhere between a whimper and a squeal. In the next instant she tackled him again, her arms wrapped firmly around him. 

"You, ridiculous, cat. How in the hell do you find me so fast?" Marinette whispered and Adrien wrapped his arms just as tight around her, his back flush to the cold floor, feeling as if he had just won the million dollar prize. 

"It’s a feline’s secret," he answered, in blissful heaven, his face buried in her hair and neck, breathing her sweet scent in. She was laying across him and she was so very warm, so very soft, that he wished this moment would last forever. Then a throat cleared itself, loudly, from the doorway. 

Marinette’s head jerked up and Adrien unburied his face, rolling his head back to see Alya standing in the doorway upside down, looking shocked, to say the least. Suddenly, recognizing the compromising position she and Adrien were in, Marinette scrambled off him for the second time that day, leaping to her feet, as he simply rolled over onto his belly, propping one hand up under his chin. 

"I-It’s not what you think!" Marinette said and Alya’s shocked expression cracked wide open into a massive grin. 

"Uh huh… and why does Adrien look like the cat that just caught the canary?" Alya asked. 

Marinette slapped a hand to her forehead and Adrien snorted at the perfect comparison, though a ladybug would have been a better choice than a canary in his opinion. 

"I am Purr-fectly content because I just cat-tured some of my very own special luck," Adrien replied from the floor. 

"Huh?" Alya asked, looking utterly confused, and Marinette let out a groan, even as she kicked him in the side gently.   
Adrien laughed and sprang to his feet before she could do it again. 

"I do believe we have been caught princess," Adrien said and, with an extravagant flourish, lifted Marinette’s hand to his lips, deciding to leave the explanations to her.  
Marinette blushed at Adrien’s silliness and before she could think of anything to say, Alya squealed then literally ran away. 

"Huh, she ran," Adrien said, lifting his lips from her captive hand to stare at the now empty doorway. He could still hear her though, squealing and yelling for Nino, as she sprinted through the maze. Marinette stomped on his foot and yanked her hand from his grip, though she couldn't wipe the huge grin off her own face. 

"You are in so much trouble later, kitty," Marinette whispered, their faces inches apart.

"Can I take you out on a date first and be in trouble later?" Adrien asked, causing Marinette to blush and nod, almost hitting his head as she whispered, "Yes, please." 

"Thank goodness you said yes!!!" a tiny voice cried, and in the next instant Plagg flew from his hiding spot, making Marinette stumble back in surprise. 

"Plagg! What have I told you about coming out!" Adrien complained, already wanting that closeness between himself and Marinette back.

"He's a tiny kitten," Marinette whispered, then started to laugh as Tiki flew from her purse to slam into Plagg. 

"You, silly, cat. I have missed you so much!" Tiki cried, and Adrien couldn’t help but notice how happy Plagg looked 

"We just saw each other last night but, yes, it's nice to see you again too, Tiki," Plagg answered, hugging her just as tight. Tiki had been really weak the night before and it was only because she had helped herself to massive amounts of sugar from the school cafeteria that she had managed a second transformation to allow Marinette to get home in one piece. All in all, since she hadn't been up to talking last night but now that she had some rest Tikis over exuberance showed itself.

"Come on, we can talk in Marinette’s purse!" Tiki giggled, pulling him down into the small bag. 

Watching them go, Marinette couldn’t help but feel a lightness fill her and, as she looked up to meet Adrien’s eyes, she felt her heart leap into her throat. He was Chat. He was her partner, her protector, and he was her crush that always seemed to be out of her reach. Standing here now, though, they were equals and Adrien saw the change in her as she gazed at him, no words being needed between them.   
His eyes practically sparkled in answer as he grinned at her. His stunning Ladybug, his shy, sweet princess were one and the same and he would be lying if he said that he didn’t feel completely at home in her arms. They were ready to take on the world, hand in hand, and clearing his throat Adrien took both of her hands in his before saying, "About that date…"

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for the cliffhanger!


End file.
